School of Theology

CHARACTER AND MISSION

The School of Theology
is evangelical and ecumenical, diverse and inclusive,
multidenominational and multicultural. Its mission is national and
international in scope, urban and suburban in focus, residential and
extended in location. It expresses this mission through life together as
a worshipping, teaching, studying, and ministering community.

The School of Theology prepares persons for lay and ordained ministries by pursuing and encouraging:

Foundational theological reflection, research, and writing

Theological education

Spiritual Formation

Advanced theological study

Continuing education

THE THEOLOGICAL CURRICULUM

The
theological curriculum which aims at excellence must combine breadth,
depth and balance. It must include the basic areas for everyone engaged
in Christian ministry, and yet provide courses of special interest and
concern to the individual student. It must be grounded in the
Scriptures, the sure and solid authority of our faith, and be concerned
for efforts to express faith in a coherent system of truth. It must
reflect understanding of the traditions of the past, and show awareness
of the needs of the present and the future. It must preserve what is
genuine within the historic experience of the church while being open to
what may be new by Christ's Spirit.

Fuller approaches its task of
theological training by way of the great Protestant tradition of
biblical studies in the languages in which God was pleased to reveal his
word. Greek and Hebrew are prerequisites for many biblical courses and
are constantly used in instruction. Courses in the theology and history
division give the student a close acquaintance with the classical
thinking of the church in its effort through the ages to express this
revelation and to apply it as a guide through the perplexities and
ambiguities of life. This background sets the stage for the ministry
courses in which the various approaches to teaching God's word are
shaped from the perspective of theology.

A curriculum cannot
include everything a servant of God will need for the rapidly changing
world of the 21st century, but it should not omit that which is
essential. Furthermore, it must supply the basic content and skills
which will enable one to feed God's flock and to maintain personal
growth with increasing responsibilities.